The Marauding Days Of The Marauders
by kangaroo
Summary: Adventures of Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot and Prongs, The Marauders when they were at Hogwarts. Starts in first year. Remus had a secret. What will the others do? Snape causes trouble. Adventures, pranks, with a lot of friendship. Please R&R.
1. Meeting On The Big Red Train

Authors Notes.  This story more or less fits in with what we find out up to and including Book 4 but not many details from Book 5 are used, so it is more or less spoiler free. This could end up as quite a long story so there maybe some continuity problems but I will repost the chapters it affects and tell you in the A/N if there any mistakes. I know that there are some details that we know didn't happen but this is how I would like to see the characters. PLEASE REVIEW. Please review and tell me what you like and what you don't. Reviewing tells me what you guys, the readers, want and I'll do my best to give you a great story. Feel free to criticise. I'll try to keep the A/N's down. Thankyous to reviewers will come at the end or in a special chapter. 

Disclaimer; anything you recognise in this story is probably not mine and will belong to JK Rowling. There are couple of characters I own but you'll work it out.

**The Marauding Days of The Marauders**

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**Chapter One,  Meeting on The Big Red Train**

Muggles, or people with the magical talent of asparagus, milled round Kings Cross station, going about their daily business, completely unaware of the way in which people were disappearing through the barrier between Platforms 9 and 10.

On the other side of this mysterious and seemingly inconspicuous wall lay a world that muggles only dream about. A large red steam engine sat on the rails, waiting patiently whilst hundreds of magical students prepared to board the train, the Hogwarts Express, and depart from Platform 9 ¾ to Hogwarts School for Witchcraft and Wizardry.

A young boy, slightly skinny looking, was struggling to load his trunk onto the train. 

"Hey, you want some help with that?" another young boy, pale and also skinny, said with his head inclined towards the troublesome trunk.

"Uhh, yeh! Thanks!" the other boy replied as he shoved his glasses back onto his nose.

The boys lifted the trunk easily with each others help and it was soon stored in the luggage compartment.

"Thanks!" said the boy with glasses a he ran a hand through his very messy hair.

"No problem! I'm Remus Lupin by the way, you a first year too?" he seemed nervous and shy no that his services now longer appeared needed.

"I'm James Potter. Yeah, this is my first year at Hogwarts. Do you want to go and find a compartment on the train?" he held one of the train doors open for Remus, who seemed surprised he was still being, willingly, talked to.

The two boys shut the door behind them and located an empty compartment near the end of the train.

Not long after they had sat down a head poked itself through the opening in the door.

"Can I sit with you? It's full everywhere else." Said the head, which sported a great deal of shaggy black hair.

"Yeah, come in. I'm James Potter and this is Remus Lupin." James moved along on his seat to let the boy sit down.

"Cool, hey! Didn't we meet in Diagon Alley last week?" said the newcomer, and added the last part to Remus.

"Umm, yeah. You were buying an owl right?" Remus replied. 

"Yeah, nasty bugger he is too!" He said, rubbing his fingers nefore adding to James. "Hey, your dad is an auror isn't he? I think my mum worked with him once, she said he had a son, or daughter, couldn't remember which! Ohh, I'm Sirius Black." He said in one long, rushed sentence.

"That's where I heard the name, I've heard of your dad too, James. But neither of my parents do anything as exciting as being aurors!" he said quietly so not to intrude on the other two.

He looked surprised again when Sirius started to talk to him too.

"So, what do your parents do?" he asked interestedly as James wondered why Remus looked so shy and surprised that they wanted to talk to him.

"My mum studies interesting creatures all over the world and dad does something in the ministry, dunno what mind." He said, but felt this wasn't good enough and quickly added, "But he coaches Quidditch too, in his spare time, for the Teeside Terrors!" He chewed his lip nervously, hoping for approval.

"Wow, that is so cool! The auror thing isn't that cool. Dad never tells me anything, it is all top secret, if you know what I mean." James said, totally impressed.

"So cool, bet you're dead good at Quidditch!" Sirius said enviously.

"I get to watch the matches but I dunno if  I am any good. I love playing though. Do you two play?"

"Oh, yeah. We have a field at the back of our house that has trees round it so I can practice loads!" Sirus said, wide grin on his face now that they were on his favourite subject.

"I play in our old barn, so no one sees. You can't go very fast but its still fun!" James said, grinning too.

"What position you gonna try out for on the house teams next year?" Remus asked.

"Chaser, that's what I'm best at!" James replied. "I would love to be seeker though!"

"I'm gonna go for beater, that's what I always practice!" Sirius added enthusiastically.

"Me too!" Remus said, "I'm, err, stronger than I look." He added quickly when he saw the surprised looks James and Sirius gave him.

"I'll say, that trunk was dead heavy and you just picked it up dead easily!" James said, more as proof to Sirius and himself than to Remus.

The boys continued to talk about Quidditch and their other favourite things until a girl slid through the door.

"Hi!" She said. "My cat ran off, have any of you seen her?"

"Hi Lily! Nope, sorry, no cat!" Sirius told her.

"Ok, according to the prefects we are nearly there!" she said helpfully as she looked at Remus and Sirius' muggle clothing, James had arrived the wizarding way and already adorned is robes.

She slid back into the corridor to search for the missing feline, with call of 'Here Kit'.

"How do you know her?" James asked curiously.

"Helped her onto the platform and to get her trunk on the train." He explained. "She only found out about magic a month or two ago."

Remus and Sirius changed, a task that had involved a lot of moving about in the cramped cabin, and elbows and legs had been thrust in all directions. This increased in difficulty particularly as Remus didn't seem to be thrilled at showing bare skin to the boys who were still relative strangers, the reason however remained unclear to all but Remus himself. Everyone came out of the muddle (even James had been dragged in) unscathed and the conversation continued.

"What house do you think you'll be in?" James inquired as he flattened his black hair but to no avail.

"I just hope I am not in Slytherin, wouldn't it be cool if we were all in the same house!" Remus said quietly, but flushed pink when he realised the other two had heard.

"Me too, I hope we are all Gryffindor!" Sirius said, easing Remus' discomfort.

"I wanna be in Gryffindor, definitely not Slytherin!" James added emphatically. "Although, I have been told that I am very sneaky." He didn't seem to know whether to be pleased or insulted at this.

"Sneakiness is useful for pranks and is, therefore, a good thing!" Sirius said confidently.

Remus nodded, "I could cope with Ravenclaw, but doubt I would make a good one. Even Hufflepuff, don't think I am nice enough though. I guess that leaves Gryffinndor cos there's no way I want to be put in Slytherin!" Although secretly, he was terrified that he would be put in Slytherin for reasons he really had no, or never would have, control over.  

And with this announced hatred of Slytherin the boys, unknown to each other, swore to hate all Slytheins who put one slimy toe out of line. The train had stopped, so the three new friends exited the old fashioned train, just a little surer than they had entered it.   

A/N   Not very well written I know, but it SHOULD get better. 

Please review and tell me what you think. I am always open to suggestions and criticism. If there is anything you would like to see in the story, tell me and I will try to incorporate it. REVIEW.


	2. Newbies and More Firsts

Disclaimer; umm.. lets think. 'Harry? Do I own you or anything to do with you?'

*For the last time, NO*

 **The Marauding Days Of The Marauders**

**Chapter 2, Newbies and More Firsts**

The three boys exited the train with all the other years but were collared, literally, by a huge hand that was attached to an equally huge arm, and therefore, huge person.

"Firs' years wi' me, please!" his booming voice cried after he had introduced himself as Hagrid, Keeper of Keys and Grounds at Hogwarts. Most of the tiny first years looked absolutely petrified by the enormous man; but Sirius, James and particularly Remus, who suddenly felt very normal and uninteresting, seemed awed and mightily impressed and weren't at all intimidated by the oversized man with the kind, beetle-like eyes.

"On'y four to a boat!" Hagrid said and showed the new students a line of small, boats, which were apparently waiting to take the across the black, glass-like lake.

Remus and Sirius sat in one boat with two girls whilst James ended up in the next boat with Lily, who had started to chew one pigtail due to nerves. They were also accompanied by a small chubby, red-faced boy, who soon became known as Peter Pettigrew, and a greasy kid with an oversized nose.

The small boats set off across the lake unsettling many students, as the boats seemed to have neither oars nor engines. As the boats left the shore the new students became more and more uptight. With the exception of Mr Greasyhead.

"Oh look, it's Pettigrew!" he sneered down his hooked nose at Peter. "Found your teddy bear yet?"

Peter looked afraid and tried to shrink as small as possible under the malevolent stare.

"Hey, lay off him! He's done nothing to you!" Lily objected.

"What do you know Evans? You're a Mudblood, too thick for your own good!" Lily had asked the hook-nosed one for help on the train and unknowingly gave him future 'ammunition' to use against her.

"And who might you be to make those sorts of claims?" said James, who looked livid at the mention of such a word and was not about to sit there and let Lily, and Peter, take insults by themselves.

"I am Severus Snape!" he answered with an air of utmost importance. 

"Well then, what was it, Snivellus? Leave these two alone and go wash your mouth out, and your hair!" James said casually.

Snape, irked because James had insulted him, with such ease, thrust out his hand and shoved James, hard. James dodged easily, but forgot Peter was behind him. Snape's hand went flying straight into Peter's chest. He toppled out of the boat with a shriek and splashed into the black lake.

James seized his shirt collars and tried to tug Peter back in the boat before Hagrid noticed the commotion. With much scrambling and wobbling of the boat he was dragged back and immediately proceeded to shake and shiver in the corner of the boat whilst water dripped off him into a puddle.

James however was practically burning in anger. He growled at muttered to himself about 'revenge', 'at school' and 'not getting caught' whilst he shot daggers at Snape. 

Upon reaching the opposite shore a furious James, a very wet Peter and rather upset-and-still-nervous Lily –whose pigtail was very wet-, informed an intrigued Remus and Sirius what had occurred at the centre of the lake.

"That bastard!" James ranted as the huge man named Hagrid led them into an entrance hall. "He called, he called Lily a…a…" he lent over and whispered in Remus' and Sirius' ears, "Mudblood!" The both of them gasped. They may not have known Lily long but that was one of the worst insults a wizard could utter. 

"Why is Peter all wet?" Sirius asked. James had introduced Peter as his teeth were chattering so hard he couldn't talk.

"Snape tried to push me out the boat when I tried to defend Lily, but he missed and Peter fell out. Stupid slime ball!!" James sounded indignant.

Their attention was brought back to Hagrid who was speaking to a stern looking witch, who one could have said appeared to be quite young, but you really never could tell with wizards.

She walked over to where the 5 stood and muttered a spell under her breath as she waved her wand over Peter. He, and his clothes, dried instantly, leaving a puddle of water on the floor. Murmurs of 'cool' and 'wow' rippled through the new students who had never seen that charm, or any other, before.

Professor McGonagall, as Hagrid had introduced her, was explaining to the pupils what was about to happen, something which scared the shit out of most students. 

"In a few moments, you will be taken through these doors and into the Great Hall. But before you can join your classmates you must be sorted into your houses," she continued to explain about the houses and rules but Remus had tuned out and was currently gulping and trying to calm down.

McGonagall turned to a pair of huge oak doors, which swung open with a creak to reveal a huge hall. "Welcome to Hogwarts!" McGonagall smiled and walked into the magnificent room.

The five new friends stayed together as they walked between long tables decorated in different colours to the front of the hall where they assembled before the entire school. Sirius, who had until now appeared to be confident and jovial, paled as he prepared to be sorted. James gulped, shoved his glasses up his nose and pulled a hand through his disobedient hair.

"Do you know what we have to do?" he asked with another gulp.

"No, I heard something about trolls but I'm trying not to think about that!" Sirius said with a slight tremor in his voice.

"Remus? You OK?" James leant over to Remus who had turned ashen, even his lips were grey.

"Fine, you?" he lied, keeping his words to a minimal for fear that if he opened his mouth any more than necessary he would throw up.

"Completely terrified!" James replied honestly.

In front of them Professor McGonagall had placed a stool on the floor and a rather dirty and battered old hat on it. Many of the first years hadn't noticed the old hat as they were in total awe of their surroundings. But when the Hat suddenly started to sing, the first years couldn't very well ignore it. Every other year, teachers too, looked on as if was a completely normal thing for a hat to do, but, of course, at Hogwarts, it was.

When the hat was done with its song, which was quite clever as it all rhymed, the professor looked over the petrified children and said;

"You will come forth, place the sorting hat on your head, and it will then sort you into your houses so you can then join your classmates." She smiled as she indicated which table was which house and began calling names off a long scroll.

"Aldeary, Hannah!" was soon made a Ravenclaw and Remus, for once, thanked the lord for his the letter his last name began with. 

Jonathan Alnick became the first Slytherin, and following him, Hannah the Ravenclaw was joined by Thomas Artherton at the Ravenclaw table.

All to soon for Sirius came the words, "Black, Sirius!" he forced his legs to cooperate and walked, somewhat awkwardly, to the stool.

A/N 'k, weird place to stop but it's not exactly a cliffhanger so you'll live. Please review, even if it's bad. If you want you can make suggestions about what you would like the hat to say to each of the characters. Aannyyway, *herds mouse pointers to review button*.


	3. Decisions, Decisions

Disclaimer; I am so honoured if you think the world of Harry Potter was mine, but its not.

**The Marauding Days Of The Marauders**

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Last time; the Sorting, where will it put Sirius?

**Decisions, Decisions and Wow!**

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"Mmm, powerful, good mind." Murmured the hat in Sirius' ear. "You're are clever but not studious and your loyalty only extends to those you trust, something which you don't give easily, not a Hufflepuff or Ravenclaw then." The Hat whispered in his ear, scaring the life out of him more with every word. What if he wasn't placed anywhere? "Cunning, sneaky, you would thrive in Slytherin, but I think that it would not be in a positive way, no, Slytherin is not right. That leaves Gryffindor, yes, you are brave, often rash, I can see you making excellent friends in GRYFFINDOR!" Sirius jumped again but covered it by standing and pulling off the hat. He vaguely wondered if it put that much thought into everyone's placement or if he was just awkward. He was welcomed to the Gryffindor table by Nearly Headless Nick who he almost sat on, or through.

Sirius only really became aware of what was happening when he heard, "Evans, Lily!" being called.

The hat considered her for a while, as it was, unknown to Sirius and everyone else, debating whether she was Ravenclaw or Gryffindor material. When it finally decided on Gryffindor, lily's entire posture slumped and relaxed from it's tense uptight position and she no longer looked like she really wanted to chew her hair again.

Sirius and Lily shared grins as they continued to watch the sorting. Before long, after Sarah Lofts, was Remus Lupin.

He sat on the stool, arms hugging his stomach tightly as his big pale eyes scanned the hall.

A little voice began to whisper in is ear, "Ahh, interesting, we've never had a werewolf before. Slytherin could be the choice, very powerful magic in you, but I think Slytherin would corrupt it. No, Slytherin wouldn't accept you. You are lonely I see, low self esteem, yet loyal, very loyal. But I'm afraid my boy that they in Hufflepuff would be afraid of you, were they to discover your little secret. Now Ravenclaw, that's a different matter, possibly too clever for their own good, they would work it out wouldn't they, and no matter how clever they live in the library and we know what books say about your kind. However, I do believe you make a brilliant Gryffindor. Brave, one would have to be to go through what you do I see. That cleverness of yours will aid you in Gryffindor, you'll be making strong friends there I predict. GRYFFINDOR!!" the hat screamed, blasting Remus' sensitive hearing.

He was beaming as he walked over to the Gryffindor table and fell into a chair. He quickly fell into a comfortable conversation with Sirius. The majority of people in the hall were bored and impatient by the time "Potter, James" was called.

The hat brushed the ends of his spiky messy hair and screamed, "Gryffindor!" so loudly that Professor McGonagall nearly dropped it. James scrambled off the chair so fast it looked like he was afraid of the hat yelling at him again.

Severus Snape received much the same reaction as James did from the hat, as soon its rim reached the greasy scalp it shouted "SLYTHERIN" for all it was worth.

The students, even the first years were fidgeting now, wishing that food would be in the very near vicinity to them in the very near future. Dumbledore stood grandly at the front of the Hall, telling the first years that the Forbidden Forest had it name for a reason and gave the usual death threats Argus Filch ordered, he had been caretaker for about 3 years and his list of illegal items was the length of his door. Dumbledore's final words, "Fluff 'n' stuff, kumquat and conglomerate" echoed round the hall and food finally appeared. It never stood a chance as hundreds of hands attacked it, starting its journey from serving dishes to plates to teeth.

Once the students had stuffed themselves to bursting, they were informed that they had to go to their dormitories; a task which they all somehow knew would involve stairs, many, many stairs. 

James, Sirius and Remus had met up with Peter, who had miraculously made Gryffindor, and Lily on one of said dreaded staircases. The trek to Gryffindor Tower had been a maze through the castle, it progress could have been tracked by the type and pitch of the Ooo's and Ahh's from the first years as they wound their way through the magnificent stone halls.

Gryffindor Tower turned out to be just as impressive; the common was littered with huge overstuffed armchairs and sofas, thick plush red rugs and in the centre a roaring fire. The red and gold banners that decorated the walls brought out the beauty of the natural stone floor. The odd assortment of various sixes and heights of tables were all host to a variety of interesting items and devices. An old grandfather clock in the corner told them it was 'Time to go to bed'. 

The prefects told the awed eleven year olds where everything was and ushered them in the direction of their dormitories. When James, Sirius, Remus, Peter and a lad named Jack O'Donnell reached their dormitory they beheld a large circular room, graceful beams criss-crossing the ceiling and five four poster beds arranged round the edge of the room. The beds had deep red curtains and plush red throws, edged in gold. The dark wood on the frames, windows and doors added to the cosy look the whole tower had. The huge red rug in the centre of the floor had a yellow lion prowling across it (not a real lion, on the rug!!).

The five stepped further into the room, and each of them selected a bed and sat on it. As if by magic, which it most likely was, their trunks appeared at the end of the bed each boy was sitting on. The head of Remus' bed was near the window; Sirius' was to the left of it and James' on the other side of the window. Peter, who had latched onto James, took the one on the right of James, and Jack the one opposite the window. They all sat quietly on their beds, the same thought echoing through their heads 'That was the most brilliant day!'

A/N Start of classes next chapter. Please review, I welcome all suggestions.   


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